Episode No. 12 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights"

As episode No. 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights” opens, the four semifinalists are preparing to face off and determine the season’s finalists for the famed six-figure contract.

Coach Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has just one horse left in the race, but he’s emotionally invested in the fight. Jackson and Marcus Jones have a simple plan: Get Brendan Schaub to the floor.

Jones says he’ll be able to track down his opponent with ease. After all, he once caught NFL great Barry Sanders in the open field during his football days.

While Jackson is busy working with Jones, assistant coach Tiki Ghosn has been planning the group’s next prank. Ghosn has collected a dizzying assortment of plush pink stuffed animals, pink paint, a disco ball and a male blow-up doll. The group goes immediately to work on redecorating the Team Rashad locker room into a pink paradise that any 10-year-old girl would love.

Back at the house, Zak Jensen inexplicably allows James McSweeney to write his Kimbo Slice-given nickname of “Linderman” on his head. McSweeney decides to start with “Linda” and finish with a message that Spike TV elects to blur out and that Jensen can’t actually see.

Scott Junk thinks it’s time for Jensen to lay out some bullies, but “Linderman” takes it in stride once again.

The next morning, coach Rashad Evans is the first to walk in to his newly decorated locker room. Evans, obviously not a 10-year-old girl, is speechless.

There’s a few laughs, but Evans quickly turns to preparing Roy Nelson, Schaub and McSweeney for their semifinal contests. While guaranteed one fighter in the finale, Evans believes it will actually be an all-Team Rashad final bout.

Back at the house, the crew notices Jensen is in a bad mood. To make matters worse, McSweeney decides to block Jensen in the bathroom by opening a set of drawers that prevent the door from opening. Jensen, who says he suffers from a touch at claustrophobia, tries to slam the door against the drawers and gain his freedom. McSweeney and Wes Wims watch the struggle briefly before closing the drawers.

When Jensen gets out of the bathroom, he immediately rushes McSweeney. It’s not exactly the attack one might expect from a professional fighter, but Jensen does throw a right hand. Despite awaiting his semifinal fight, McSweeney answers with a kick and charges in to grab head control.

McSweeney grabs an arm-in guillotine that makes Jensen gargle briefly. McSweeney controls Jensen until he decides to calm down. McSweeney laughs off the skirmish, and later says he’s actually impressed that Jensen stood up for himself. Jensen shares with us that he believes McSweeney is a “prostitute’s used douchebag.”

Unable to defend himself properly, Jensen is left to hope Nelson can punish McSweeney.

Later on, Evans stops by the house for a little visualization and some encouraging words for McSweeney.

It’s fight time, and Team Rashad has put some green material over their locker room walls to cut down on some of the “My Little Pony” feel that was there before. Up first: McSweeney vs. Nelson.
JAMES MCSWEENEY VS. ROY NELSON

The battle of Team Rashad fighters will decide the season’s first finalist, and McSweeney promises a barnburner. Referee Steve Mazzagatti will not only see the fight, much to UFC president Dana White’s dismay, but he’ll actually officiate it, as well.

The pair touch gloves and prepare to strike. There’s some traded jabs early, but McSweeney moves away well. Nelson sneaks in a few shots as the pair exchanges, but McSweeney answers, too.

Nelson shoots in, but McSweeney grabs a guillotine choke with his right arm. Nelson’s own right arm is in the hold, and McSweeney quickly breaks the hold. The pair separate and set back up in the center of the cage.

McSweeney lands a few stiff jabs, and he smiles and motions for Nelson to come after his chin. Nelson does exactly that with a right hand that staggers McSweeney. Nelson observes the carnage briefly before shooting in for a double-leg takedown.

Nelson escapes McSweeney’s half-guard and moves quickly to side control. From there he begins to look for a familiar crucifix position. Once secured, Nelson unloads a barrage of 21 left hands that score to the head. Mazzagatti warns McSweeney to fight out of the position, but he halts the bout with 49 seconds left in the opening round when the Brit is unable to do so.

A disappointed McSweeney rises to display a bloody nose, but he vows to come back stronger for his next fight. White admits Nelson finally did something to impress him.

With Nelson booked for the finals, it’s on to Jones vs. Schaub.

A classic striker vs. grappler matchup, Schaub will look to punish “Big Baby” with his hands. Meanwhile, Jones will eye the canvas to display his craft. Before we get there, Evans and Jackson have a final clash.

There’s a lot of “bitch” thrown around and some angry repetition of phrases. Evans dares Jackson to throw a punch, but there’s no physical confrontation. And of course, we know there won’t be on Dec. 12, either.

As Jones prepares for his fight, Jackson admits he’s feeling as much pressure as anyone. Jones represents Jackson’s one chance at victory, and “Rampage” believes his fighter has the talent to deliver.

Both fighters predict a quick end to the fight, and with two finishes each already in the bag, it seems a safe bet.

MARCUS JONES VS. BRENDAN SCHAUB

Referee Josh Rosenthal gets the fight underway. Schaub lands a quick right hand, but Jones simply pushes forward and powers him to the floor. Schaub takes guard, but Jones quickly slides out to side control. Schaub is briefly trapped in a crucifix, but he works his right arm free.

Schaub works to regain half-gaurd, but Jones simply leaps into mount. Schaub bucks free momentarily, but Jones re-establishes himself in half-mount. Another wild buck by McSweeney sees him get back to his feet and unleash a flurry as Jones tries to stand.

Jones backs away and delivers a nice knee to the head that stops the attack. Schaub backs away and resets. Schaub beats Jones to the punch again, and a right hand floors the giant. Schaub pounces and delivers a flurry of left and right hands to the face. Rosenthal gives Jones every chance to defend himself, but the referee is forced to step in when “Big Baby” goes limp at the 2:11 mark.

Schaub is ecstatic, and he earns his way to a TUF 10 Finale date with Nelson.

White admits he’s blown away by the performance. Schaub says he’s been in the position before, “but never with a guy that big and scary.”

Evans admits even he hated to see Jones lose, and Jackson says he nearly came to tears.

A devastated Jones says he refuses to put his family through the difficulty of fighting and that he’s done with MMA. Thankfully, the retirement is brief, and we learn that the good-natured, massive Jones will fight on the finale against rival Matt Mitrione. We’re also all shocked to learn that Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson will fight on the finale as well. Who would have thunk it?

White wraps up the season by calling it a success, even as “a guy with probably the worst physique in sports” made it to the finals. Schaub doesn’t look that bad, does he?

Catch the live finale of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” Saturday, Dec. 5 on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com has recapped each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on “The Ultimate Fighter 10” page.

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